


Difficult Confession

by Disneyfanatic_kitty



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Confessions, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Guilt, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-10-13 13:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disneyfanatic_kitty/pseuds/Disneyfanatic_kitty
Summary: Draco had always known the day would come when he had to confess his Death Eater past to his son, he just never thought it would have been so early. Inspired by Scorpius' conversation with Rose on the train in HPCC, in which he defended his parents but admitted that his father was a Death Eater. Draco/Scorpius story #2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Writing my first fanfic has inspired me to want to explore the Draco/Scorpius relationship more. Reading CC, it was obvious that Scorpius was aware about Draco's past as a Death Eater, as evident by his train conversation with Rose. As Draco was quite a changed person in CC, I imagine he would certainly felt a responsibility and need for educating Scorpius about his own past, here's my take of it.
> 
> This chapter may start off a bit slow, hope you can bear with me.

_2014, Malfoy Manor_

Draco was carefully dropping a sapphire-coloured potion into a glass vial in his private potion lab at home. The lab was lined with wooden shelves filled with carefully labelled jars of ingredients, a variety of ready-made potions of different colours and sizes. On the other side of the lab was a huge book shelf with hundreds of tomes, ranging from century-old to contemporary books, all related to the subject of potion-making. Near the middle of the room was a large work table with a bunch of his tools laid out on one side, with a drawer next to one end of the table. On the other side of the table stood a number of cauldrons, mostly occupied with different potions, some of them had been boiling for hours. A cooling spell was used to make the room more comfortable.

Looking at the shiny potion, he let out a satisfied smile. He had been working on this potion for months and it looked like he had finally got it perfected. He could not wait to let Astoria try this so she could have a good-night sleep. She had gotten very sick months ago but recovered weeks after. She had been suffering from muscle cramps every night ever since no matter how many healers she had seen and how much sleeping draught she had taken. Every night she would be waken by the horrible cramps while he in turn would be waken by her moans of pain. Draco would help massage her muscles until she felt well enough to fall back asleep. According to the healers, her problems were likely caused by her cursed blood, which was why the usual potions which worked on muscle cramps could not work. If everything went well, this potion would work on her blood to soothe her cramps. He had spent weeks looking up potions that could work from his ancient healing books before spending months trying to brew it and experimenting the potions on animals.

While Astoria had always been cursed, she had been fairly healthy before Scorpius' birth. Of course the couple would never blame Scorpius for the deterioration of her health, but there was no denying that the clock had been ticking for years now. She was taking four potions daily by now and a dozen more occasionally for various symptoms. Sometimes a potion that had been working well for years would suddenly stop working, leaving them frustrated and desperate for a replacement.

Draco urgently placed the lid on top of the glass vial then left his lab. On his way to the library, where he knew Astoria and Scorpius were, he picked up a goblet of water from the kitchen for Astoria. His wife always spent her day with Scorpius, usually reading in the library. He never read with Scorpius but he knew that his boy was highly intelligent and eager to learn about anything. Other times when Astoria was feeling well, she would sit at the garden table and enjoy a cup of tea with Scorpius, she would even bake a cake or take a scroll on a rare day when she did not feel tired at all. He walked up the stairs of the enormous Manor House quickly yet carefully, to avoid spilling the water. He picked up pace as he arrived on the corridor leading to the library. He was about to knock on the door when he stopped dead as he heard his son's excited voice.

"… of Harry Potter!"

It was fortunate that Draco generally had a calm and controlled demeanour, or he would definitely have dropped his precious vial of potion then and there. He was tempted to eavesdrop on his son's conversation with Astoria but determinedly backed away when he realised his hands were shaking. He could not risk breaking the vial even though he desperately wanted to know what his son knew about Harry Potter.

Draco did not hold real grudges against Potter but since Potter was the cause of many tense dinner arguments with his parents over the years, the Potter name had almost become a taboo in the Malfoy household. Although the subject of Harry Potter still inevitably came up now and then, by now he had never been referred to by his name that it was quite a shock that Scorpius seemed so familiar with the name. It was true that every child in the Wizarding world should know Potter's name but Scorpius was not any child. Draco was certain that the eight-year-old had been so sheltered that he had not seen anyone who was not a relation for at least five years that there could only be two possibilities: Scorpius had learnt about Harry Potter through his books or through Astoria. Draco began frantically trying to remember what Scorpius could have learned about Potter from the dinner table but his mind was in such a chaos that he decided to focus to get back to his room, where he could place the potion somewhere safe and sit down to think.

He took a deep breath as he finally collapsed onto his favourite armchair. A voice in his head asked, " _Why are you scared that Scorpius knows about Harry Potter_?" Was this true? No. He could care less what Scorpius think about Potter, his fear was about how much his son knew about the Second Wizarding War, more specifically about how much his son knew about his own involvement in the war. Draco had learned to live with whatever the world thought about him but he could hardly bear the thought of his precious son seeing him as an evil Death Eater. He thought with despair that he was indeed a Death Eater in every sense of the word no matter how much he would like to deny it, as his right hand unconsciously started stroking the faint scar of his Dark Mark.

Young Draco had been very much the creation of his own father, the Death Eater who had greatly regretted the first downfall of the Dark Lord. There was a point in time when he had shared his father's belief that he would love to be a Death Eater, which was meant to be the highest honour. It was through his family falling in favour that he had finally gotten his wish to be one and gradually realised with horror the Unthinkable he was tasked to do, to kill Albus Dumbledore. He was finally able to see Lord Voldemort as what he truly was. By then, it was too late and he had no choice but to do the Dark Lord's bidding for the sake of his family.

Who was he kidding? He could give excuses all he wanted but there was no denying of the crimes that he had committed. He had never cared about Katie Bell and Ron Weasley, in Ron's case he had actually enjoyed seeing him suffered, especially the time when he had vomited slugs, but did he like to have Ron killed? It did not matter that they were only accidental victims of his, the fact remained that they were almost _murdered_ because of Draco's actions. He shuddered at the thought of what could have been. Dumbledore was right, Draco was no murderer. Also, there was Bill Weasley who was severely hurt with irreversible injuries because of his success in smuggling Death Eaters into Hogwarts' ground. The Magical Community had every right to send him into Azkaban, like they did with the other Death Eaters after Voldemort's ultimate defeat. He buried his face into his hands and let out a frustrated sigh.

What disturbed him the most was his own stupidity of not thinking about the possibilities that Scorpius could have learned about the Second Wizarding War. Hadn't he always been proud of the maturity, sense and intelligence the boy had shown despite of his young age? Had he seriously expect that his son could content himself with "The Tales of Beedle the Bard"? There was a reluctant part of him that wanted to feel angry at Astoria for betraying him. _How could she?_ She of everyone should know the sensitivity he felt about this subject. She should have told him immediately when Scorpius first knew about Potter. But maybe it was because of his love for his wife, or the proof of her selfless love for him by giving birth, or his firm belief that Astoria was his better half, he just could not bring himself to blame her.

Draco had always expected this day would come that he would have to talk to Scorpius about his dark past, yet he could never have predicted how soon it would have come. For all he knew, his boy could have known about his past for years without Draco suspecting a thing. Even if Scorpius only recognised Potter's name without knowing much about his _heroic_ acts, he had just been given the wakeup call that there was nothing he could do to delay this dreadful talk much longer as the last thing he would like was for his son to be able to think freely about Draco's mistakes without perspectives.

His antique clock chimed at 7, it was time for dinner. He stood and resolutely made his way to the dining room. If he could have a choice, he would prefer not ever looking back to his past. But this was something that he had to do, for the benefits of his son. He had sworn to be the best father he could be to Scorpius, therefore it was his duty to own up to his past and to teach his boy to learn from his own mistakes. He decided that he would first talk to Astoria to find out exactly how much the boy knew about his past, then to decide what to do from there.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Draco reached the dinner table, Astoria and Scorpius had already been seated and were talking and laughing without a care in the world. Draco's face fell when he realised the way the boy quieted and his expressions turned serious when he noticed Draco. Scorpius had always been a timid child around his father that normally he would not even have noticed this, but his new found knowledge made him think the worst. Did Scorpius quiet because he was scared of his evil Death Eater of a father? The thought made Draco uneasy but he tried his best to appear impassive to hide his distress. He took out a chair as Becky, their house-elf, started placing bowls of soup in front of them from a shaking tray.

Scorpius took one look at the steaming soup then exclaimed, "This looks so good! Thank you, Becky!"

The house-elf had finished placing the soup as she made a funny noise before she nervously said, "You- you're well-welcome, master S-Scorpius." Respectfully she backed away to return to the kitchen, where she continued preparing the following courses. Meanwhile, Draco was affectionately looking at his happy son, who had started devouring the soup, feeling a mixture of emotions. He was proud of his son for respecting the skinny creature and unreservedly displayed his appreciation, which would definitely have earned a disapproving look or even a scold from Lucius had he been here. He remembered how his father had always kicked Dobby in the stomach and the way he would encourage the house-elf to give himself extra punishments. Growing up, Draco had never given Dobby a friendly look, let alone saying _thank you_. It stung him to think about Dobby as this reminded him of the last time he had seen the freed house-elf, moments before his death. It was not that he had ever been particularly fond of the house-elf but knowing how he had bravely saved Potter and his friends in the face of mortal dangers, Draco felt self-conscious that he would always be a Death Eater and a coward in history, while Potter and even the jumpy Dobby would be remembered as heroes. The Boy who lived had taken upon himself to make sure that the world would not forget the bravery of a house-elf.

But his son's kindness toward a house-elf had given Draco a glimmer of hope. Scorpius had the kindest heart he had ever known and if there was anyone who could unconditionally love a Death Eater as his father, it would be Scorpius. Over the years Draco had always wondered how he could possibly produce such a gentle, loving child. Unlike Lucius who had dismissed the child as soft and unfitting as a Malfoy heir, Draco had thought his child perfect and himself undeserving of such a son. Although he had wanted other qualities for his son, such as toughness to deal with the cruelty he would inevitably face in the world, he would never have traded Scorpius for anything in the world. Draco felt fortunate that he could free Scorpius away from his parents' influence, to prevent the boy's innocent mind be tainted by the same superiority and false belief that had been instilled in himself as a child. Draco's relationship with his parents had become so strained over Astoria, Harry Potter and parenting issues among other things that now the older Malfoys travelled away for months in a year, and would mostly just stayed in a separate Wing of the Manor even when they were not away.

They ate in silence for the rest of the meal, except for a few knowing smiles exchanged between the mother and son. The evening meal had never felt as long for Draco, who was dying for his opportunity to talk with Astoria privately. Finally, as Becky was clearing away the dishes after dessert, with identical smiles Astoria and Scorpius immediately stood, ready to return to the library. Draco remained seated and coughed once. The smiles cleared as both mother and son turned to look at Draco.

"Astoria, I would like to talk to you in private. Scorpius, would you mind returning to your room to read there instead?"

This almost never happened that they were both surprised by this development. Scorpius respectfully nodded and left without saying a word. Draco's eyes followed his son out. With a sigh he thought, he was still too young to learn all about a war that his parents had lived through.

Astoria had agreed to talk with Draco but had been standing silently until Scorpius was gone. Feeling concerned that her husband looked even paler than usual and his expression solemn, she placed her tiny hand on top of his, which was still placed on his armrest.

"What is the matter, dear?"

"Could we talk in our room?"

She was taken aback by his cold tone and how he did not bother to answer her question at all, but she nodded and followed him to their room anyway. Draco remained silent and serious the whole way, causing her to feel worried and cast nervous looks to him but he did not seem to notice.

Upon entering their room, her eyes were immediately drawn to the shiny sapphire-coloured glass vial sitting on the desk. Draco's eyes followed, he had completely forgotten about the potion.

"Oh, this is the new healing potion I have been working on. I think it is completed, you should be able to sleep peacefully tonight."

Astoria moved to stand opposite him, searching at his face for a moment before planting a gentle kiss on his lips. "Thank you so much, love." She knew very well that he had worked on the potion for months. "Now would you tell me what is bothering you?"

Draco began after taking a deep breath. "I went to look for you at the library right after I have completed the potion."

She was puzzled and looked at him confusedly, "Scorpius and I have not left the library at all to…"

"I heard Scorpius mentioned Potter's name." He blurted out.

She understood right away and started to look visually uncomfortable. "I… I see."

Contrary to his expectation, instead of immediately going into a lengthy explanation, she was silent but looked thoughtful after that brief response. Trying his best to restrain his impatience, he prompted, "Well?"

She looked shaky but tried to answer bravely, "I understand why you would be angry at me for hiding this from you … but Scorpius was so young when the name first came up …"

"How long?" Draco had always been such a gentleman around her that she was shocked by the way he would interrupt her.

"Two years and a half. He was only 5 when he saw Harry Potter's name as some sort of trivia information in a book about Quidditch. I only answered his question in regards of Quidditch but before I knew it, he had moved onto history books and … the name was basically everywhere."

 _Two years and a half?_ He remembered he had expressed his insecurities over this subject even back when Scorpius was a toddler, she had always known how he wanted to guide him to understand the part he had played in the war. He had never felt this disappointed in her but at least he tried to keep his emotions in check and asked the following question as neutrally as possible. "So he _is_ into history and knows all about the Second Wizarding War?"

Sensing his anger and starting to panic, she could feel her eyes watered. "Yes, he loves history and he does know about the Second Wizarding War." Draco had looked away from her but she placed a hand under his chin to turn his head, forcing him to look her in the face. She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible, "I am so sorry, dear. I can tell you are mad but I truly just wanted to … wanted to protect you. I know that looking back at your past always send you to a dark place and that you have dreaded telling your son about your Death Eater past since the day he was born. I wanted to spare… no, more like delay your pain. He was so young… so young, when he first asked about Harry Potter that I didn't think you would be ready to have your darkest secrets revealed to a five-year-old. It was selfish of me for wanting to keep you in ignorant bliss but I can assure you, Scorpius is mature enough to understand your reasons and he has only read from credible history books. I would have told you a long time ago had he not hold you in the highest regards."

He had wanted to feel mad at her but he saw truth and sincerity in her shiny eyes. It had been scary for him to think about his son's opinions on himself but he found himself breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her reassurance. Somehow, it was actually relieving to think he would not have to recount his past in detail _himself_.

Astoria gave him a gentle hug, which he returned after a moment of hesitation. She said to his shoulder, "Your son respects, admires and _loves_ you, Draco."

After letting go and taking a moment to compose himself, he asked, "How much does Scorpius know about my past?" She opened her mouth but closed it immediately, then said after considering for a while, "You should talk to him to find out yourself."

Draco was not surprised but it seemed to take a lot of will for him to nod to her suggestion. But then he realised he had forgotten something, "Why exactly did Scorpius mention Potter today?"

At this, she slyly answered with a playful smile while wiping away a tear with her sleeve, "Unlike a certain Malfoy, Scorpius was _ecstatic_ to find out he would be in the same year as a Potter. He was saying how cool it would be to have a Potter boy as his friend."

"Need I remind you that I have actually tried to befriend a Potter in the first place?"

"Of course I know, love. You take everything way too seriously." She teased but then continued after a pause, "But wouldn't it be interesting if Scorpius actually make friend with the Potter boy?"

"A Potter boy befriending a Malfoy? I don't think so." he replied without a second of hesitation.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco was standing in front of Scorpius's door and had been standing there for a full minute. He had never felt so much less than a father since his child's birth. Right now, he felt like a student about to knock on the door after being sent to see the Headmaster, or a criminal who was about to stand trial for his crimes. It felt so surreal that his eight-year-old son was to be his judge, to decide if he was worthy as a father. He had tried to replay the last two years in his head but unfortunately, he could not come up with anything that could give away his son's impressions of him other than Astoria's words. He felt ashamed of not being a more attentive father as he did not even remember the last time he had talked with Scorpius on his own and that he could not have realised what his child had learned had he not accidentally heard Potter's name. The boy was always with his wife while Draco was always occupied with his potions. Even when Astoria had left the House, he would just leave his boy on his own, presumably reading ( _about Harry Potter and the Second Wizarding War?_ ). It would not do to dwell on all the terrible possibilities, he should better just get this over with. After taking a deep breath and feeling relatively more composed, he knocked on Scorpius's door.

"Come in!" the boy answered right away, no doubt expecting his mother.

He cautiously walked in after opening the door, the boy looked up from his book but then immediately put down his book after realising it was his father, with an expression so serious he looked much older than eight. He had already changed into his green pyjamas and was lying comfortably on his bed.

"Hello, dad… I thought you were mum. Do you want me to … come out?" The boy looked visibly confused to see his father in his room.

"No, you can stay where you are. There is something I want to talk to you about, may I sit down?"

"Of course, dad." Scorpius said as he placed his book on the bedside table then moved slightly to make room for his father even though there was plenty of room to sit on his large bed. Draco sat down and was taking his time to think about the best way to proceed. He could feel Scorpius looking at him expectantly. He looked into those innocent eyes and said, "Scorpius, I will be asking you some questions and I want you to answer me as _honestly_ and completely as possible, and I do not want you to hide anything at all. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father." The boy nodded vigorously. "But I am always honest." He looked at his father in such a way as if he was implying he had been dishonest.

"Of course you are." the father answered tenderly. If it was not for the nature of this conversation, Draco would have burst out laughing. "I heard that you were talking about Harry Potter with your mother this afternoon." He decided to test the water first.

"Oh." The boy looked down and looked… deflated. He seemed nervous and almost _guilty_ , which was not what Draco had expected at all. "What's wrong?"

"I'm … sorry. Mum said that I am never to mention that name in front of you" His precious boy actually looked scared like he was expecting Draco to punish him or act angry, even though he technically had not mentioned the name in front of Draco. _So much for protecting me, Astoria._

"Scorpius, there's nothing you need to apologise for." He reassured the boy. "You are old enough to know about the name, the war, as well as your family history. I just want to understand how much exactly do you know about him?"

Scorpius looked visually relaxed. "Well, I think I know quite a lot about him." he said awkwardly but matter-of-factly, obviously not planning to elaborate further.

Draco sighed, this was not going well at all, and of course it would be difficult to ask someone to start talking about a person suddenly. He tried again, "I heard from Astoria that you are interested about history and you know about the Second Wizarding War."

"Oh yes, I love history and I have always found the war interesting." The boy quieted as he seemed to realise how insensitive that sounded to anyone who had experienced the war first-hand. "I mean… the war is interesting to read about."

"It is okay, boy." This conversation would have gone much easier if Astoria was here with him, but he knew he should be the one to have this conversation with his child. "I want you to tell me what you know about the Second Wizarding War."

"Oh, of course." Draco could actually see a light in his son's eyes. "Could I refer to my books?" He asked innocently while reaching for the book _he was reading just now_.

"No." He realised he had said this more forcibly than intended as he saw his son shook, the light in his eyes extinguished and his hand retracted. "I am sorry, I didn't meant to scare you. I just want you to tell me all you can remember about the war. It's okay whether your account is very long or very short, as long as that is _all_ you remember." He wanted to get a full picture of his child's knowledge and understanding about his past and the history before explaining his reasons and intentions ( _excuses?_ ) and teaching him to learn from Draco's mistakes, in addition to assessing the boy's intelligence to decide on the best way to word his lecture.

From his conversation with Astoria, Draco had known that his boy knew a lot about the war and thought he was prepared for this. Even so, he could not have anticipated what Scorpius said next. The Second Wizarding War technically started with the Return of Voldemort at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, even though no one believed it at the time until the Dark Lord himself was spotted at the Ministry of Magic the following year.

"Okay." The boy took a breath like he was about to give a very long speech. "In 1992…" _1992?_ Somehow Draco could not believe this could have been a mistake at all, his boy was too smart to get confused with the dates. "… the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the second time by Lord Voldemort through an old diary. A few students, a cat and a ghost were petrified by looking at the reflections of the Basilisk." _A cat and a ghost?_ Could this have been any more detailed? At least the boy was not reciting the names of the students. "… at the time, no one thought much about the diary except it was an object of dark magic, it was not until the end of the war when it was revealed to have been a Horcrux, an object in which part of the Dark Lord's soul was stored." There it was, the connection to the war.

Scorpius moved on to start talking about Harry Potter's third year, in which Sirius Black, Potter's godfather, who had been believed as the biggest supporter of Voldemort, had escaped from Azkaban and seemed to have caused some strange happenings in Hogwarts that year. It was later found out by Potter and his friends that it had been Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, who had worked for Voldemort and had betrayed Potter's parents. Unfortunately, Pettigrew successfully escaped from the trio, which enabled the Dark Lord to return. Sadly, the truth of what had happened that year had not been revealed until after Sirius Black's death two years later when his name had been cleared. Draco greatly regretted asking his son to tell him _all_ he knew about the war. Had it been history unrelated to himself, his former nemesis and his family, he would have been able to enjoy taking this in and to admire his son's articulacy and intelligence. _This was going to be a very long speech indeed._


	4. Chapter 4

By now, it came as no surprise for Draco that Scorpius had to explain how Voldemort infiltrated Hogwarts in 1994 with the help of Barty Crouch Jr. who had impersonated Mad Eye Moody (a _formidable_ former Auror) using Polyjuice Potion in detail. _Grr_ … the mere thought of this man immediately brought Draco back to the brief minute in which he had been turned into a _ferret_ of all animals and was being _bounced_ _up and down_. Just remembering this made him feel dizzy. Seriously, how did the boy memorised all these names and events by heart? The longer Draco sat, the more idiotic he felt for mistaking Scorpius for a regular eight-year-old, he could not have recounted the history regarding his school years (Scorpius had yet to recount the generally recognised Beginning of the War considering it was the War that Draco had wanted him to talk about) better himself. The boy could not have done a better job even if he was reading his history books out loud since he looked so animated as if he was reliving the history himself.

At long last, Scorpius finally reached the end of the Triwizard Tournament, where Cedric Diggory had been murdered and the Dark Lord had finally been restored in physical form. Draco had his hand unconsciously stroking the faded Dark Mark again, his mind wanted to block out the details that he did not realise when Scorpius had stopped talking even though the recounting was clearly far from over. Draco was confused to see his boy looked slightly uncomfortable, only seeing why when he continued hesitantly. "The Death Eaters returned his summons and arrived to the graveyard… including …, …, and … L-Lucius Malfoy." The boy stopped for the second time in twenty minutes, with his eyes downcast, as if he was afraid to see Draco's reaction. _This would only get worse, way worse._ The room felt eerily quiet to Draco as he tried to pat Scorpius' hand reassuringly and encouraged him despite wanting to escape himself, "It's okay to talk about your grandfather's, as well as my past. You're doing great, just continue to tell me what you know."

It was unfortunate for the father that his son seemed to require more urging than he had anticipated, the boy had always been _terrified_ of his grandfather all these years after all. Of course, Draco could not blame a boy for disliking a man who called his own grandson "the weakling" (being the son of Astoria, Scorpius had used to be very frail as an infant but had thankfully gotten much healthier in recent years) and forbidden the same three-year-old grandson to laugh at the dinner table. Even though Lucius was nowhere near, the boy was frightened that his grandfather would find out about the conversation and reprimand him despite his father's reassurance.

Draco raised the boy's chin with a hand to make him look directly at himself. "Scorpius, do you know that I have been a Death Eater?" The boy seemed desperate to look away but finally nodded after a minute's struggle. "The world will never forget that your grandfather and I have been Death Eaters and the things we have done in the past, and we will forever be treated differently because of that. It-it's unfair... but you, my son, will be treated differently as well, not because of anything you have done…, but because you are a Malfoy and what your family has done in the past." It broke Draco's heart to be telling the cruel truth to his young child but the boy had shown him that he was wise beyond his years and it was crucial for him to understand exactly why they were having this conversation at the first place so he could go on.

"It will never, _ever_ be fair that you would be treated differently and I am not saying these people will be right for how they will treat you, but you deserve to know all the crimes we have committed and the mistakes we have made if you will have to pay for them, however unfair that is. This is why I want you to tell me _all_ you know about our past so I can tell you the rest myself." Draco could see a tear glistening at the corner of his son's eye, it felt like he had been stabbed by an icy dagger that he wondered if he was making the right decision to educate his son this early. As a father, he was supposed to shelter his child, instead of being the person to cause him pain.

To his amazement, he could see something in Scorpius' eyes then he determinedly nodded a moment later, before continuing to talk. "...the Dark Lord had Harry Potter released so he could duel and defeat him in front of the Death Eaters…" At first Draco was relieved that Scorpius had resumed talking, but then he realised the sad truth that what started out as a fun exercise had become a duty for the boy. It was as if he was reading from the history books now that his excitement and animation were gone. "… Dumbledore warned Fudge about the Return of the Dark Lord but Fudge, who will likely forever be remembered as one of the worst - if not the worst – Ministers of Magic, tried to turn Hogwarts, as well as the whole Magical Community in the whole, against Dumbledore and Harry Potter with the help of the Daily Prophet and Dolores Umbridge, Hogwarts' Defense Against Dark Arts teacher in 1995-1996, instead of taking appropriate measures for the upcoming War… "

While Scorpius' assessment of Cornelius Fudge was accurate, this was the first time he had appeared judgmental in his recounting, Draco wondered if his son would word this differently had he realised how much an influence Lucius had been to Fudge that year. As for Umbridge… Draco had known at the time that her teaching was absolutely rubbish but her bias against Dumbledore, Potter, Hagrid and the Dumbledore's Army, as well as her preference for Slytherin, had worked very well for Draco, especially when he was given special treatment and power as member of the Inquisitorial Squad. "The true events that had happened in the graveyard didn't come out until Harry Potter did an interview with Quibbler in 1996. Potter, along with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, co-founded the Dumbledore's Army that year to teach the students Defence Against Dark Arts…" He found himself feeling irrationally and pathetically jealous of Potter, or any random member of the DA, right now as he saw Scorpius talked about how the DA members got to practice the Patronus Charm. It had become clear as day that his son idolised Potter and the DA, if the return of Scorpius' excitement was not evidence enough. He doubted his boy would feel proud or even mildly impressed to learn that Draco was in the Inquisitorial Squad, if he did not know already. "Sadly," the boy really did look sad right now, "a member of the DA betrayed the group to Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad…, a group handpicked by Umbridge with only Slytherin students as members" he could tell that Scorpius was trying his best not to look at Draco, _of course he knew_.

"Dumbledore took the fall for Harry Potter and the other DA members and fled from Hogwarts with his phoenix instead of being sent to Azkaban, with _Umbridge_ replaced him as headmistress." Scorpius had pronounced her name with sort of a disgusted tone that Draco could never thought him capable of, his heart was sinking with every minute passed, knowing that even though his behaviours that years were not exactly criminal, they would not help at all to earn his boy's esteem. "... the Dark Lord lured Potter and five other DA members to the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic by tricking him into thinking Sirius Black was being tortured using his connection with Potter." He was relieved to hear that the boy had left out or did not know the little episode in Umbridge's office before the DA left for the Ministry of Magic.

"...They bravely fought the Death Eaters but were no match to them, luckily members of the Order of Phoenix arrived in time to save them. Sirius Black was unfortunately murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort's most loyal Death Eater." Draco could hear Aunt Bella eccentric laugh at the mention of her name. It was strange how little he had thought about her all those years considering how much she had taught him in two short years. He imagined if Aunt Bella could see him right now, she would be extremely disappointed with him and would definitely have disowned him. _Thank Merlin she was dead._ He could handle his parents' attitude towards Astoria and Scorpius, but he would have no chance against her. He could not even begin to imagine what she would have thought about Scorpius, _blood-traitor? bastard_?

"Dumbledore arrived to fight Voldemort himself, leading the Dark Lord to flee but not before being seen by Ministry's employees arriving for work, including Fudge. Almost all Death Eaters on the scene were arrested and jailed in Azkaban… including the Commander … L-Lucius Malfoy." Scorpius paused again but surprised Draco by recovering and continuing within seconds. "Fudge was forced to acknowledge the Dark Lord's Return, which cleared Dumbledore and Potter's names, and after some mass attacks of Muggles, he was forced to step down and was replaced by Scrimgeour."

Draco could feel his heart beating fast, his boy had finally come to the point in history when he officially got involved. "As a result of Lucius' failure, his son Draco Malfoy was make a Death Eater and started working for Voldemort from within Hogwarts in his sixth year. Meanwhile, Dumbledore had started giving Harry Potter lessons, in which he came to learn more about the Dark Lord's past, including the existence and importance of Horcurxes, which was the key to defeat him. Nearing the end of the school year, a weakened Dumbledore returned to the Astronomy Tower with Harry Potter, where he was confronted by Draco, who unexpectedly disarmed Dumbledore, and other Death Eaters who had been smuggled into the grounds by Draco. He was then killed by Severus Snape by a killing curse. It was later revealed that Dumbledore had already been dying and his death had previously been agreed between them." Draco did not expect Scorpius to be able to convey this part of history so easily and fluently but it had become clear that he did this in an emotionally-detached way by reciting facts, avoiding any eye contact, and not hesitating in directly using Draco's name as if he was just any other person in history. It had also appeared to Draco that Scorpius was reciting as little as possible about his involvement and that year in general for his benefits, considering how detailed he was in the beginning of his recounting. There was not even a mention of his task of killing Dumbledore, by now there was no way he would actually believe that _this_ was all the boy knew about.


	5. Chapter 5

This recounting had gone on for so long that it was now past Scorpius' bedtime. Draco wondered briefly if he should have the boy continue another day, but decided that it should be okay to let him stay up this once that he stopped himself from interrupting his son's drawn-out speech (to be fair, it had become more concise in the later parts). "There was another mass breakout from Azkaban in 1997. Most of the jailed Death Eaters escaped, including Lucius Malfoy, whose Manor had been made the Dark Lord's headquarter…" He could still remember how a room would feel cooler for him the moment Voldemort entered, like there was a Dementor in the room. He had never looked forward to go back to Hogwarts as much as he did that year, just so he could escape staying in the same place as the Dark Lord.

"... Mad Eye died in this battle while George Weasley lost an ear..." Scorpius seemed to be able to have much more fun recounting historical events with not much connection to his family, thought Draco as he saw the temporary return of the boy's excitement while recounting the Battle of Seven Potters. It made sense that a little boy would find this battle particularly fascinating, how often had there been an instance in which six people had taken the same Polyjuice Potion to become the same person in the past? Draco was willing to bet that there was only one time, but seeing his son lighted up like that had brought forth another wave of jealousy for him. Not only was he jealous of the way his own son seemed to worship Potter like anybody else, he also had a hard time understanding the depth of relationships Potter shared with his friends. How was it that six people (okay, more like five) would willingly risk their lives to become his decoys? For all they knew, they could easily been murdered for him. It was more understandable that Granger and Ron Weasley would participate, but what about the Weasley twins and the French girl? Draco loved Astoria and Scorpius with all his heart and would not think twice to die for them but it was still impossible for him to fathom how mere friends of Potter would willingly sacrifice so much for him.

"... After the Ministry had fallen, Snape became headmaster of Hogwarts with the Carrows taken over as Dark Arts teachers. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger left school that year to hunt for Horcruxes…" Luckily for Draco, by now Scorpius had finally gotten the sense that his father did not really need to hear _everything_ he knew about the War and had started considerately skipping over many details, or this account could take way over a week since there were just too much going on by this point of the war.

"The werewolf Greyback captured the trio and decided to bring them to the Malfoy Manor where he would be rewarded. Harry Potter could not be identified by Draco Malfoy as Granger had hexed him in the face but Bellatrix Lestrange started to interrogate Granger with torture spells upon seeing the Sword of Gryffindor." Draco could feel himself shaking involuntarily thinking about the Mud… Granger's torture. He himself had used the Cruciatus Curse under the Dark Lord's order but it was an entirely different matter when it was being used on a girl your own age even if she was a Muggle, and by his intimidating Aunt Bella no less. When he closed his eyes, he could practically hear her screams right now, that sound had engraved on his memories since that fateful day.

"Somehow, Potter was able to request help from Aberforth Dumbledore, who sent Dobby, the former Malfoy house-elf to rescue Potter and the other prisoners." Unexpectedly, Scorpius looked up at the walls of his room, as if pondering for the first time how this fateful and horrifying event had actually happened within the high walls of the same Manor that had been his comfy home. "... Potter and Weasley escaped and attempted to rescue Granger but were stopped. Fortunately Dobby dropped a chandelier in time to save them. It was here," the boy's mind appeared a thousand miles away as he seemed to be talking to himself, "...where Harry Potter disarmed you and took possession of your Hawthorn wand." Draco was alarmed to hear his son referring his seventeen-year-old self simply as "you" that he gave the boy a worried look. Amazingly, he did not notice the reaction at all but then he related Dobby's death with tears in his eyes, no doubt Dobby had reminded the boy of the family house-elf that he was very fond of.

Feeling concerned for his boy, Draco gently shook his shoulders, "Scorpius, are you feeling okay? Would you like to stop for now?" He was secretly reluctant for this to stop now since he did not trust himself to be able to continue another day, but then he saw the boy's eyes refocused on him. "Oh… what was I just talking about?" Noticing how worried his father looked, he said with a weak smile, "I'm fine, dad. I was just thinking... I think I would like to visit Dobby's grave to give him my most colourful pair of socks someday." Potter did not exactly publicise the location of the house-elf's grave but over the years, many people had located and visited the simple grave and it had become a tradition for visitors to leave him socks.

Draco sighed but then said tenderly, "of course you can visit Dobby's grave someday if you want." Draco, however, immediately felt ashamed at the thought of appearing in front of the house-elf's grave, maybe he could keep an eye on his boy but stay away from the grave himself. He looked at his boy intently and could tell that the boy was indeed sleepy and exhausted, he should not have started this conversation tonight at all. "My boy, it's okay to stop and continue another day."

Surprised, the child looked right into his father's eyes and said, "oh no, father. We are about to get into the good stuff." He was indeed very excited when he talked about how the trio had broken into Gringotts to locate its Horcurx and how they had released a dragon into the wild. This exercise was getting quite trying for Draco given how the boy was all so happy relating Potter's thrilling adventures while most parts related to himself would be spoken as solemnly and discreetly as possible. Finally, they reached the Battle of Hogwarts and it was almost ten-thirty at night.

As Scorpius related how the trio, the DA members and members of the Order were able to enter Hogwarts, as well as for students to later evacuate from the Castle, through the Room of Requirement, he expressed such a yearning to see the room for himself, and such a regret that the Room had been destroyed. . "... After Harry Potter had been sighted in Hogwarts, Snape attempted to talk with him but was intercepted by Professor McGonagall. Snape was outnumbered and forced to flee the castle."

"Potter entered the Room of Requirement with Weasley and Granger when he realised a Horcurx had been stored there, not knowing that Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had followed him inside." Draco realised that this was the first time his son had mentioned Crabbe and Goyle, so this was how his "friends" would forever be remembered in history, as contrast to the trio whose names were in almost every page of history books on the Second Wizarding War. "While they were searching for the Horcrux, Crabbe set Fiendfyre in the room but didn't know how to stop it. The trio was able to locate and destroy the Diadem, escape the flame by flying blooms, as well as rescuing Malfoy and Goyle." Draco had his eyes closed as he relived his nightmare. The Fiendfyre had been one of the nightmares that had plagued him for all these years. There was a hopeless moment in there that he had genuinely believed that he would die as he saw the trio flying overhead, he had followed them intending to capture them after all. _Why would_ _**Saint Potter**_ _risk his own life to save me?_ He thought with a sneer on his face, old habits died hard indeed.

"Are you okay, dad?" He was brought back into the present as he stared into his son's wide eyes. His heart swelled when he recognised the genuine concern behind those eyes. "I...I'm fine, go..go on, son." Looking at the pale eyes that refused to look away, he was reminded of just how much Scorpius was like Astoria. She was always able to bring light into his life, even during the darkest moments. "Don't worry about me, Scorpius. Please … carry on. Or… would you like to go to sleep now?"

Scorpius looked down then suddenly looked embarrassed, "I want to finish this tonight… but, I would like to drink some water before I continue." Now Draco just felt like the worst father ever, not only had he make his eight-year-old stayed up this late recounting such an emotional war, but he also let the boy went on for almost two hours without any drink. He immediately snapped his fingers, Becky the house-elf appeared after a few seconds, which took longer than usual.

"W...What could I do for y...you, Master?" the loyal house-elf bowed but she looked so sleepy that she had undoubtedly been waken up by the Master.

"Could you please bring us two mugs of water, Becky?" Draco ordered formally but politely.

"O...of course, an...anything for the master." Becky disapparated then reappeared within a minute.

"Thank you, Becky!" The boy happily thanked the house-elf then downed the whole mug of water in one gulp. "Can I have another one? I am so thirsty!" Scorpius requested with a laugh. They finally resumed after the boy said goodnight to the sleepy house-elf. Draco was disappointed to see his son's relaxed expression transformed into seriousness within a second.


	6. Chapter 6

"The trio sneaked into the Shrieking Shack and witnessed Voldemort making his snake, Nagini, kill Severus Snape, thinking this would make him the true master of the Elder Wand. In Snape's dying moments, he gave Potter all the key memories in his life. Harry Potter found out that Snape had been in love with Lily Evans, later Lily Potter, ever since they had known each other as children and he had worked for Dumbledore to protect Harry himself ever since his parents' death. Harry also found out that he himself was the seventh Horcurx, the one that the Dark Lord did not know about, that he must let Voldemort kill himself to ensure the Dark Lord's defeat."

For years Snape had been Draco's favourite Professor as he thought that the Potion Master had shared his hatred towards Potter. His feelings for Snape had become so complicated after learning of Snape's death and his true allegiance that he could not articulate himself; he felt betrayed that Snape had been on Dumbledore and Potter's side all along; he had felt jealous that Snape was able to gain Voldemort's trust with the help of Dumbledore's scheming while his family had been disgraced and had lived in fear for those two years; he admired the man for loving Lily so much that he had given his life for this mission, something he had appreciated much better after having his own family, and for being able to stay by the Dark Lord's side without him guessing where his loyalty had lied, which was no simple feat remembering how hard his two years as a Death Eater had been; he was grateful that Snape had saved his soul and life by protecting him and killing Dumbledore. Lastly, he felt strangely connected to Snape knowing he had felt jealous of James Potter and had projected that jealousy to Harry, whereas Draco had felt jealous of Harry's friendship and popularity that he had tried to make Harry's life as miserable as he could.

"On his way to face death, Potter ran into Neville Longbottom and decided to request him to kill the Dark Lord's snake, the last Horcurx, if he had the chance. Potter then came face to face with Voldemort and let the Dark Lord killed him with a killing spell. Harry Potter survived the killing spell once again but tried to pretend to be dead afterwards. Narcissa Malfoy was ordered by Voldemort to check if he was alive. She lied in order to return to Hogwarts to look for her son Draco. The Dark Lord made Hagrid carry Harry Potter so he could easily be seen. The conquering party arrived at Hogwarts with Voldemort urging the survivors to give up. Longbottom tried to attack the Dark Lord but was offered to become a Death Eater for his bravery. He bravely _refused_ but was then put under a full-body binding curse. Voldemort placed a Sorting hat on top of him then _set it on fire_. Unexpectedly, he _broke free_ of the curse, _pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor_ from the hat, which he used immediately to _cut off Nagini's head_!"

_Ah… Longbottom_ , Draco could still remember the laughing stock of a boy who had fallen off his broom and broken his wrist on his first flying lesson. _How on earth did_ _ **he**_ _become a rebellion leader and war hero?_ Thinking about his first year really did remind himself how much of a jerk and bully he had been for years, _yet another thing for my son to be ashamed of._ Draco had not anticipated as much emotional ups-and-downs he had experienced so far, he did not even know he had it in him to feel so much jealousy in one day either. He tried to remind himself that it was the consequences of his actions that he would be remembered in such an unflattering light, that the trio, Snape, Longbottom, Dobby and the other "war heroes" all deserved to be celebrated for their triumphs and sacrifices. He knew in his heart that he himself had gotten lucky to receive no punishment yet he was only human. He would be lying to say he did not wish that he could be one of those "war heroes" his son looked up to. Scorpius' birthday was the happiest day of his life and it was then that he had decided that he wanted to be a father his son could be proud of.

"... Voldemort was dueling three people at once, while Bellatrix was doing the same. Bellatrix cast a killing spell that barely missed Ginny Weasley, which caused Molly Weasley to step in. Weasley dueled Bellatrix on her own then successfully killed her, which angered the Dark Lord greatly that he turned to attack her when a Shield Charm was cast between them. Potter took his Invisibility Cloak off and revealed himself, to the cheers of all the survivors present. Voldemort and Harry Potter started circling each other and it was then that Potter first mentioned Horcurx, revealed Snape's love for Lily and his true allegiance, and the fact that Dumbledore's death was agreed between Snape and Dumbledore. Voldemort stated that he had killed Snape, making him the true master of the Elder Wand, which Potter disagreed by saying that the Wand had recognised a different master, Draco Malfoy, who had disarmed Dumbledore but never laid hand on it. Harry Potter revealed that he had disarmed Malfoy so he was the true master of the Elder Wand. They finally cast their respective spells at the same moment, with Voldemort casting a killing spell while Potter casting a disarming spell. The Dark Lord's spell was rebound as the Wand refused to harm his true Master."

Draco had been present in the Great Hall when Potter had revealed Draco as the Master of the Elder Wand. It had felt surreal at the moment but he had not have time to dwell on it as he, like everyone else present, had been too engrossed with the "duel" happening before him and Voldemort's subsequent defeat. When he had finally been able to let the fact sink in, all he had felt was a great relief that nobody, himself included, had known about his ownership at the time, he could not have imagined what burden it would have been to own such a wand, not to mention he would have been killed long ago had the Dark Lord known. Had he been his younger self, he would have felt delighted about the prospect of owning such a wand but having been greatly altered by the war, all he craved in life had become a sense of normalcy, instead of power.

Scorpius was silent for a moment then he awkwardly said, "Hmm… that's all about the war." _Yeah, right._ He might as well have read his books out loud but there was something crucial missing in his recounting. "Scorpius… I want you to tell me what else you know about my sixth year. You know much more than that." The last sentence was not an accusation, not a question, it was simply a statement.

With his downcast eyes and fidgeting fingers, Scorpius looked as if he was caught doing something wrong. The boy could feel his father's patient eyes on him but it took him a long time to brace himself to go on. "Dra… Draco Malfoy spent the year repairing a Vanishing Cabinet, which he used to smuggle the Death Eaters into Hogwarts when Dumbledore was away hunting Horcurx with Harry Potter. He… he was given the task to kill Albus Dumbledore, … but he found himself unable to complete it even after he had cornered and disarmed Dumbledore." Technically, this was all that was known and _confirmed_ in _credible history_ regarding his involvement but of course, there was more.

"Is that all you know, Scorpius?" The boy nodded nervously but then finally shook his head, feeling his father's unwavering glance on him. "Th...There are some theories that have never been confirmed. In that year, there were two nearly-fatal attacks on students in which the attacker had never been identified. Katie Bell was cursed by a necklace while Ron Weasley was poisoned by mead, both of which were intended for Dumbledore. Because it was later known that Dr-Draco Malfoy was to kill Dumbledore for Voldemort, it was believed by many people that Malfoy was behind both attacks."

The Ministry of Magic had held long proceedings to clarify details on the war, as well as trials for all Death Eaters, including Draco. He had been thoroughly convinced that he would be convicted but surprisingly, _Saint Potter_ had volunteered as a defense witness for his case. He had gotten the shock of his life when Harry Potter identified himself as a witness of the death of Dumbledore (which he should have known when Potter revealed that Draco had disarmed Dumbledore), explaining that he had been present on the Astronomy Tower, being paralysed under his Invisibility Cloak the whole time when Dumbledore had talked to Draco.

Potter's account of the event had been accurate; he had confirmed that Draco had been forced to accept the task because his family's lives had been threatened, that Draco had disarmed Dumbledore but had been unable to cast the killing spell, despite urging from surrounding Death Eaters and Dumbledore _himself_ , but to Draco's dismay, Potter had denied any knowledge about Draco's association to Katie Bell and Ron Weasley's attacks, which Draco had certainly discussed with Dumbledore that night. When the possibility of Draco's involvement had been suggested, Potter had dismissed that by suggesting there could be more dark wizards in Hogwarts than they had known, mentioning how Vincent Crabbe had set a powerful Fiendfyre and had even cast a killing spell in the Battle of Hogwarts. He also stated how he had been able to escape Malfoy Manor because Draco had intentionally failed to identify him. He had ended his speech by imploring the court to show leniency considering Draco's youth and reluctance to participate in the war. Of course, Draco's case had subsequently been dropped thanks to the _Savior_ 's persuading statement.

He remembered how Dumbledore had professed his knowledge about Draco's attempts on his life but stated that he had kept his silence to protect him. The only conclusion he could come up with was that _Saint Potter_ had agreed with Dumbledore's decision to protect Draco, believing that he was no killer and undeserving of an Azkaban sentence. Of course Draco himself could have confessed his guilt in the two attempted murder charges but Potter's testimony had been too good to be true, Draco had been left so dumbfounded that he had just gone along with it. But as Draco looked at his innocent boy, he knew the moment of truth had arrived, he had to confess his guilt in front of Scorpius, if he was to be a worthy father of the child.


	7. Chapter 7

"Scorpius," his son looked up at him, something told him the boy knew exactly where he was going. "It's true… I have tried to kill Dumbledore with a cursed necklace and poisoned mead, which ended up almost killing Katie Bell and Ron Weasley instead." he said cautiously but with determination.

There was a prolonged and painful silence, the boy did not seem to have any reaction to that at all while Draco could practically hear his own quickening heartbeats. "...I see." Scorpius said hesitantly at last, then looked down and added with a whisper. "I thought so." _Of course._ Another painful silence.

Draco sighed then asked tentatively, "Scorpius… what do you think about ... it?" The innocent eyes found his, "about what?" _about me being a Death Eater, my past, my crimes, and my near success in murdering two people_. "T...The war."

"Well, I'm glad that Harry Potter has defeated Voldemort!" Scorpius laughed nervously then got quiet. "What else do you think, my boy?"

"Hmm… I feel sad that so many people have died, and so many have suffered so much because of the war." Sigh, _this is not going anywhere_. "Scorpius," he tried again, "I want you to tell me what you think about the part I have played in the War."

Scorpius replied slowly, "I feel… sad and sorry for you." There was so much sadness in Scorpius' expression, this was kind of unexpected for Draco. "Why is it? Hmm… Why do you feel sad and sorry for me?"

"Be..because he used your parents', as well as your life, to force you into doing something so _terrible_. I love my mum and dad…" the boy paused, feeling embarrassed about what he had just said out loud, "t...that I think... I would do the same… , if your lives are threatened." Astoria was right, Scorpius did understand Draco's reason for his actions, or more precisely his crimes, but he could not fight the urge to ask his son a question, a question that had buried deep inside him for years. "Wo...Would you feel ashamed of me?" It felt rather pathetic for him to recognise his need for his eight-year-old's approval or comfort.

The boy looked absolutely stunned then he firmly said, "No, I could never _ever_ feel ashamed of you, dad!" Draco was floored by Scorpius' answer but said with melancholy, "that was so nice of you, Scorpius. … you may not understand this now, but others will use my past against you… they will associate you with Death Eaters, even when you couldn't be any more different."

Scorpius had always remembered his father as stern and serious, yet calm and gentle, that he did not know momentarily what to say seeing him sad. He placed his tiny hand on top of his father's, then said softly, "Mum has always told me that you have made some mistakes that you _deeply regretted_ because you were put in a very difficult position. She said your past does not define who you are now, that you have changed a lot and I should never let what I read from history affect what I think of you… S...She also said… that you are the most wonderful man she has ever known."

Draco was so touched that he could not find his voice when he looked at his son's shiny eyes, which looked right back at him with sincerity and conviction. It had been a night of wonder to have seen his eight-year-old boy recounting a war from memories and to display such emotional maturity, as well as admiration for him. Their father-son relationship had never been bad, but somewhat distant because Draco had always found the boy nervous and timid around himself that he had never known what to say to him and would just let his wife do all their talking. Those moving words were reassuring for him but it felt like they were put into his brilliant mind by Astoria, Draco wanted to find out exactly what the child thought about himself.

Feeling the tiny hand pressed on his, he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then looked steadily at his boy, who looked almost identical to his eight-year-old self but with a much softer demeanour that he wanted to shelter him forever, "Scorpius, thank you. This means a lot to me…what your mother thinks...But my son, could you tell me… what _you_ think about me?"

To say Scorpius was surprised was an understatement, he had never ever seen his father like this in his life. Draco looked so vulnerable that part of Scorpius just wanted to wrap his slender arms around him but he could sense the insecurity in Draco's question. He could tell that Draco _need_ to know the answer. There was something that had immediately come up in his mind but he felt strange and embarrassed to say it, that he tried to look thoughtful to buy some time to come up with another answer.

Draco could see some deliberate calculation going on there, he sighed and said, "Scorpius, remember I have told you to answer my questions honestly. There is no wrong answer, it's okay to tell me whatever you think. I want to hear the first answer that has come up in your mind… because that tend to be the truest to what you think."

Scorpius had no choice but to articulate his first thought upon hearing his father's question. "Well...I...I have always thought that… you remind me … of Severus Snape."

Draco's jaw literally dropped. He caught it a moment later and tried to compose himself, before he said, "I am sorry for the way I have just reacted, but would you mind telling me how exactly do I remind you of Snape."

Little Scorpius, upon seeing his dad's reaction, had become so embarrassed that he blushed like a tomato. He regretted giving his earlier answer but had no choice except carrying on. "Hmm… when I first read ab … about how Snape had loved Lily for his entire life… t...that he had de...dedicated his life to protect Harry Potter,... without him knowing it. He...he loved her so much that they had shared the same Patronus… When I first read that, … I thought that Snape must had loved Lily the same way you love mum." It was strange for Draco to see his boy stuttered so badly after so articulately recited the whole Second Wizarding War, but he was more surprised by the words his child was saying.

The boy avoided all eye contact but continued to ramble on, "I see the way you stay by her side at all times whenever she gets sick, … you… how you barely sleep at all. You blow on the soup and slowly feed her spoon by spoon. When she feels better and wan… want to leave her room, you carry her down carefully yourself." Draco could feel the sting of tears in his eyes but he tried really hard to keep it under control. "Sometimes you forget to show for dinner because you are working so hard on your potions. Mum would say she would have been gone by now… if you haven't been working so hard every day to keep her healthy… A...Also, I see the way you always hold her hands, you look… so… protective. There's also the way you kiss her… when I first read about Snape and Lily, it just immediately re...reminded me of how you love mum."

Draco was so shell-shocked and moved that it was all he could do to sniff as quietly as possible and take deep breaths. Who would have thought that the best compliment he could ever receive was to be compared with Snape? There was so much he wanted to say but he could not find the words. Not daring to look at his father, Scorpius was wondering what to make out of the prolonged silence, when he was suddenly being enveloped by a fierce hug, which was unexpected but not undesired. Draco wished to convey all his emotions that he could not put into words through his hug: his pride of having such a son, his gratitude for Scorpius' understanding and consolation, and most of all, his love, that he could not get himself to let go for a long time.


	8. Chapter 8

By the time they broke apart the atmosphere had gotten quite awkward for the father and son. Scorpius was at an absolute loss of words but he was deeply moved by his father's rare display of emotions. Draco, on the other hand, had to remind himself of the actual task he had set out to do in addition to helping his boy to understand the part he had played in the War, to prepare Scorpius for the challenges, and unfortunately, the cruelty and hostility he would inevitably face in life because of the Malfoy's dark legacy. He tried to compose himself the best he can, but his voice sounded particularly nasal when he next spoke, "Scorpius, do you know the reason I talk to you about the Second Wizarding War tonight?"

"Hmm… you said it's only fair for me to understand grandfather's and your past… because people will treat me di...differently because of what you two did."

"Yes… that's true." Draco said hesitantly, while debating with himself about whether he should continue tonight, _haven't tonight been emotional enough? Is it really the time to tell my son that a lot of people out there believe that he should not have been born at all?_ He had also caught wind of a rumour these last few years about how Scorpius was the son of Voldemort. He looked at his precious boy's gentle expression and thought, _how could anyone believe that this could be the face of the Dark Lord's son? It's utter madness_ but… there would be so many mental and emotional challenges ahead if Scorpius was to survive Hogwarts that Draco had to start preparing him somewhere, even though it would be so much easier to maintain the bubble and continue to shelter him for the time being. If there was anything he had learned tonight, it was the fact that his son was much stronger and more mature than he had thought despite the boy's vulnerable look. Also, a short poignant lecture tonight would certainly leave an impression and lasting impact for the boy since the night had been extraordinary for the both of them that he certainly would remember the conversation. However, there was the small problem that Draco had no idea how he should proceed, until he remembered how his wife had guided him through his darker moments.

"You know, Scorpius, there has been a period of time when I was extremely lost after the war." Draco had his boy's full attention as he was rather surprised by his father's change in tone. "I was constantly being followed by dark looks and whispers wherever I went. My entrance in a room could literally suck out all chattering, because there were … there still are many people who believe that we should have been punished … it didn't help that I felt guilty about my crimes that I would act very guilty and self-conscious in these situations. It had become so painful that I became more and more withdrawn. It's fortunate that we are rich that I could literally hide at my home in all times to avoid all of that. I believe there had been two years in which I had never left the Manor at all, I might as well be imprisoned at the time, albeit in comfort."

Draco could tell Scorpius was really into his story, it was the first time he had ever shared his past to him after all. He himself was glad to find out that once he started, sharing his personal story to the boy did not come as difficult as he had expected, somehow it seemed _natural_. "I was very lucky to have met your mother around that time, she helped me to gain perspective and more importantly, understanding. Gradually, I was able to come out more and more often. People can be forgetful but the War was still fresh in many people's minds that they had not and will not be ready to completely forget about the Malfoy's crimes, but they were not as openly hostile as before that I found it in me to be able to cope. Your mother would say something like she wants me to _find peace_ , which I have not been able to yet but I have been learning." Draco gave a warm smile at the thought of his insightful wife, something that Scorpius did not remember ever seeing in his mother's absence, but then his father turned serious within seconds.

"As I have said earlier, I wanted you to know all about our family's crimes because you deserve to know, my boy. There is, however, a more important reason that I started this conversation tonight. I want you to be able to understand where they are coming from and to sympathise with these people who may like to hurt you or treat you unkindly. Our family has wronged a lot of people in the past and many of their children would not be able to look past our differences anytime soon. I want you to learn from your mother, as I have in the past, to try to forget and forgive, to avoid them and protect yourself from them, instead of trying to fight or hurt them back."

Scorpius had been nodding but he said then, in a tone that sounded more like a school aged boy than his eight-year-old self, "I promise, dad. I promise that I will try to protect myself instead of hurting others back in Hogwarts." Draco sighed, his boy had always dreamed to go to Hogwarts, according to Astoria, only no one could say with confidence what Hogwarts would hold for a Death Eater's son like Scorpius these days.

"There's another thing, Scorpius. If anyone mentions your grandfather's and my identities as Death Eaters, or the crimes we have committed, do you try to deny any of it because it's the truth. I know it could be tempting to simply dismiss them, instead of owning up to our crimes and guilt, especially when they have not been your crimes and guilt to begin with, and there will be absolutely no glory in admitting to being a Death Eater's son, ... but the more you deny the truth, the more provoked they would be and more … justified they would feel for hurting you. This would not come easy and I cannot apologise enough for the sufferings you will likely have to face for _my_ mistakes, but it will be something that you have to get used to." Draco actually bowed his head slightly then that made his boy very uncomfortable, but understanding how important the things his father was saying, he said solemnly, "I understand, dad… and I... I forgive you."

Surely it was easy for his boy to say he forgive Draco now when he had not been bullied, mocked, tormented by the people who would dislike him because he was a Malfoy yet, but there was no good for him to dwell on this too much, especially on this night in which he had already kept Scorpius up till almost midnight (what would Astoria say when she found out her eight-year-old boy was still awake?) and had overloaded him with so much, so he just left it with a tense but earnest "thank you… Scorpius". As comforting as it was to hear his naive boy forgive him, Draco was understanding and knew that he would not held the boy responsible for it later, that he would be prepared for Scorpius to come back after a year in school, complaining about his sufferings and blaming Draco for all that he had to endure, even though such behaviours sounded as unlike Scorpius' as possible. In any case, he decided that he would have to teach his boy self-defense techniques, both magical and non-magical, but that should be waited till later. He would have to enlighten Scorpius about the _Son of Voldemort_ rumour as well, since it would be crueler for him to first hear it from a classmate, but that would definitely have to wait for when he was older, probably after he had received his Hogwarts letter. This reminded him of something else.

"Scorpius, you know about Durmstrang Institute, right?" His child looked extremely confused by the sudden change of subject. "Hmm… it's one of the Wizarding schools that took part in the Triwizard Tournament. What about it, dad?"

"Would you consider studying in Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts? They do not accept Muggleborn students and they used to teach their students Dark Arts before the War, but for the most part, it isn't too diff…" Draco stopped abruptly as he saw Scorpius' trembling lips and watering eyes. It took a whole minute for the boy to speak but when he did, Draco was sure that his boy had thought he would dare forcing him to go to Durmstrang. "I… I… All I have ever wanted is to go… go to Hogwarts, dad! I...I will stay out of troubles and I… I will do ev...everything you said n...no matter what, pl...please let me go!"

It was ironic that Draco would get this kind of emotional response from his son by merely _suggesting_ him to go to Durmstrang, when he had imagined that his boy could react this way after finding out that Draco had almost murdered someone. Feeling heartbroken to see Scorpius so sad, he firmly placed his hands on Scorpius' shaking shoulders. "Shh… shhh. If Hogwarts is where you want to go, my boy, I would never force you to go to anywhere else."

Scorpius seemed much relieved but it took him a while to regain his composure. He was now blowing into a handkerchief Draco had given him. "I was only suggesting Durmstrang because most of the people who dislike our family have gone to Hogwarts, so you will not be bothered much if you study in Durmstrang instead. But I promise that you will go to Hogwarts if that is what you want." It took him another minute and numerous deep breaths to relax, then Scorpius smiled weakly and said, "Thank you, dad. I know… that you are worried about me, but I do want to go to Hogwarts… and I will take care of myself."

Even though Scorpius could not truly know the full implication of what it would be like for him, a son of a Death Eater and the rumoured _Son of Voldemort_ , to go to Hogwarts, at least he had shown a strong will to go after what he truly wanted, despite having been warned about all the challenges ahead, along with the intellect, maturity, understanding and kindness he had shown in one evening. Draco could not help thinking that his baby had already turned out to be a much better person than he had been for at least the first twenty years of his life. In fact, Scorpius might actually be a much better person at _eight_ than he had ever been. No doubt it had been mainly Astoria's influence, but for the first time, he dared to think that he had been doing a good parenting job, which was actually remarkable considering how strong but bad an influence Lucius had been in his life.

There was so much more Draco would need to tell Scorpius but they had of course already had too much for one night. Draco gently patted Scorpius' back then said, "Sure you will be able to take good care of yourself, my boy. I'm sorry to have upset you and have kept you awake for so long. I should really leave and let you rest now, dear."

As if on cue Scorpius gave a big yawn, he then smiled with half-closed eyes and said, "Okay, dad." Draco was going to tuck his boy in when he saw a hesitant expression on his face, he was about to inquire if he would like to say something when the child pulled him into another hug in the same hesitant manner. Had the boy been able to see Draco's face, he would have seen the warmest smile he had ever seen on his father's usually serious face.

Having drunk two full mugs of water earlier, of course Scorpius had to go to the bathroom before going to bed. After Draco had finally tucked his son in, he affectionately patted his head for a moment before saying, "Good night, Scorpius." A satisfied smile on the boy's face when he wished his father good night as well. Draco had just turned to leave when he heard Scorpius' sweet voice, "Dad?" He was at his bedside within a second, thinking the boy might actually be secretly upset by some of their conversation. Scorpius, however, was alarmed to see his father's extreme reaction, then blushed and said, "I… I just wanted to say… I like talking to you, dad. We...we should do it more often… only when you are not too busy with your potions of course." Draco was instantly relaxed, he tenderly touched his son's face as he said, "Of course. Sweet dreams, Scorpius." _We will have much more to talk about whether you would like it or not_ , sigh. The boy looked sweetly at his father then said, "good...nnight…, …. dad" He was sound asleep by the time Draco reached the door.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been an extremely long evening for Astoria, she had taken her time to take an unusually long bath, with scented oils and soothing draught, and written a three-page long letter before going to bed, where she had _tried_ to read for half an hour before trying to sleep. For the past hour or so, she had been tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep despite having decided that she would not stay up to wait for her husband's return. She had done all those things in order to distract herself from thinking about the conversation between Draco with Scorpius but unfortunately, she had completely failed in keeping her worry at bay.

Like Draco, she had of course been anticipating this day for years, but somehow it still had come as a shock when he had confronted her about it. Scorpius had fallen in love with books at the age of four and he had devoured all types of books, from magical tales to books on Hogwarts, Quidditch and dragons, that she had foreseen very early on that the boy would have learnt about the Second Wizarding War long before Draco would have wanted. She had spent many sleepless nights debating how to approach the dilemma at the time, whether she should let Scorpius do his reading himself, guide him every step on the way or only occasionally, or tell her husband immediately. In the end, she had decided to hide it from Draco because she had known her child's disposition very well and had been confident that he would be able to handle the knowledge well, while having Draco exposing his own past to a five-year-old would have done more harm to the tortured soul than to the innocent boy. She had planned with Scorpius that they would wait for Draco to take the initiative to start the conversation in which the boy would pretend to be hearing his father's past for the first time. She could now see how stupid that plan had been, considering the fact that Scorpius knew way more about history than Draco and the possibility for him to be able to sit through it without betraying his knowledge and excitement would be zero.

She had felt very uneasy from the moment she had heard Draco's plan on having Scorpius telling him all he knew about the war, not because she had thought the boy would have make any mistake or his opinions on his father would have hurt the man, but because she was not sure how her husband could handle having the complete history of the War retold to him. The boy could literally recite the War and there was no way to shut him up once anyone got him started about history. _Merlin_ , this conversation could last for days if her husband did not have it in him to stop the boy.

Draco had always been one to suppress his emotions but the demons of the War had never left him, despite being buried most of the times. She could literally see his eyes darken whenever he was reminded of his guilt, regrets, pain and suffering. It had taken him years to talk about his full involvement in the War in front of her and it had broken her heart to later hear him confessed that he had thought his past would have driven her away. The optimistic part in her, however, tried to convince herself that Scorpius could be the cure to Draco's demons. The boy absolutely worshipped his father, despite not being able to show it in front of the man, and he had been longing for this conversation, or any proper father-to-son conversation, with Draco for a very long time. Perhaps Draco would finally be able to let the past rest, once he realised how much his son admired and loved him despite his dark past.

The more she thought about this, the more she wished that she had warned her husband about the full extent of Scorpius' knowledge though. At the time, she was worried that this would have upset him after he had just calmed down from his discovery. She had resisted her temptation to go to Scorpius' room by reasoning that she could not rob them of this precious opportunity to really learn more about each other, but what kind of mother would she be to let her husband keep her baby up all night? Realising any attempt to sleep would be futile, she reached for her wand then cast lumos, then checked on her clock to see that it had just stroke midnight. She was just about to get out of bed when she heard her door turned. In walked Draco, who looked tired, slightly stunned, guilty but very much awake.

Surprised by his wife's lighted wand, he asked apologetically, "Did I wake you up, my love?"

"No, I was just about to go look for you actually." After a slight pause, she asked, "Is Scorpius asleep?"

He hesitated for a second then nodded, then added guiltily, "I have only just tucked him in. I'm sorry… I shouldn't…"

Astoria interrupted him with a mischievous smile to try to lighten his mood, "It's okay, I understand. Besides, it's technically my fault for not warning you that you have a living encyclopedia for a son." She had gotten out of her bed and was sitting at her bedside.

Draco only looked thoughtful then nodded tentatively, "Our son is really something, isn't he?" He was talking more to himself, not expecting a response. After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Do you want to sleep now? Would you mind if I…" he indicated to the chandelier in the room, then flicked his wand to light it after his wife had given her approval.

With heavy steps he walked to her side of the bed, then he slowly sank down next to her. He was quiet for a long time, clearly overwhelmed by his conversation with Scorpius. She took his hand and gently squeezed it, trying to show her support, respecting his need for silence and trusting that he would talk to her whenever he was ready.

Draco was vaguely aware of his surroundings and Astoria's silent support, while a whole life evaluation was going on in his head. He had felt relieved and happy the moment he left Scorpius' room, but once the realisation had sunk in that he had finally gotten this conversation over, all the emotions he had locked away all these years started pouring out like a flood. He had lived for years with a constant dread looming in the dark, the dread of the need to expose his past and the dread of how his son would react to it. What was scarier than something inevitable that you had dreaded for years? It was the wait for the inevitable to happen, when you had no idea when it would happen. Without knowing it, this dread had secretly consumed him for years, that he had never truly allowed himself to enjoy life and to grow too intimate with his boy, despite having the most wonderful wife and son in the world, as he had been scared that his happiness had only been an illusion, that his son would distance from him once his past had been revealed to him. He had thought about going back to his Potions lab to calm down before returning to his wife's side, but he knew that she would be worried, not to mention the fact that he secretly needed her there beside him.

The entire evening flashed before his eyes while he was sitting there, had it really been this afternoon when he had first heard Scorpius mentioned Potter's name? Had this conversation really been mere hours instead of days? He had imagined a hundred different scenarios of how this conversation would have turned out: Scorpius became afraid of him, Scorpius hating him, he did not know what to say and ended up making a fool of himself in front of his son, he broke down crying and could not continue, he acted like a coward he had always been and avoided telling Scorpius the truth, and the worst of all, Scorpius ended up disowning him and the Malfoy name because of his past. He had imagined a rare few good outcomes in which Scorpius could accept him for who he was but his past still ended up causing a rift between the father and son, but he had never imagined in his wildest dreams that his boy could love and admire him the way he did, in addition to fully understanding and accepting his past without any question, and of course he could never have foreseen Scorpius being the one to recount his past. This evening had really been too good to be true that a part of him was certain that he was just dreaming, waiting to be waken up any second to the cruel reality.

But Astoria's squeeze brought him back to the present, those hands which were constantly cool and pale, yet always soft in touch. Of course he dreamed about her all the times, but he had never been able to be so acutely aware of her touch in his dreams. Somehow, this hand convinced him that the conversation had really taken place, and it became his trigger of emotions. He was finally able to let go of his constant dread, along with his guilt and regrets. He had gotten so used to his heavy burden of emotions that he did not truly know how heavy they had been for him until now, when it had finally been lifted from his shoulders, the relief was so great that he could not even tell when a floodgate was opened.

Astoria was instantly aware of the first drop of his tear, she turned to hug him as she realised the next moment that not only was Draco crying, he was full-on sobbing to her shoulder. It was not completely surprising to her but still very alarming, considering how unfazed he had always been, he had even managed to look controlled when she had gotten very sick once that they thought she would have died then. She knew the conversation definitely had gone well because her husband would never have been able to release his emotions like this had Scorpius reacted negatively. Hearing him sobbing for the first time since she had known him, she could feel her eyes watered as she thought how she wanted to be there for him forever. Draco might have looked strong and independent, but he had experienced a fair share of traumas, tragedies and nightmares, that he would be in desperate need of comfort occasionally, comfort that only she had ever been able to provide. She wanted him to be more similar to Scorpius sentimentally as it worried her to think that the emotional gap between the father and son would be too great for them to be able to comfort each other, when they would need each other the most, by the time she was gone.

Unexpectedly, he broke off from the hug even though he was still crying, he had loosened his hold and had his hands placed on the two sides of her waist now. She looked at his bloodshot eyes with concern and worry, before he choked out, "Thank… Thank you so much… for giving birth to my son. He… he is the most beautiful gift I have ever received in my life."

Deeply moved by Draco's words, she could feel her tears flowing freely down her cheeks. It took her a moment to reply by kissing him gently on his lips. "It… it has been the best decision I have made in my life." When she looked at him again afterwards, he could see he was conflicted and could not get himself to agree despite his love for Scorpius, no doubt wondering how much time she had left. "I… I am sorry for getting angry at you earlier. You understand my weakness better than I do. There's no way I could have done a better job than you in teaching him about our past…" She placed a finger on his lip to silence him, then said, "There is no need for you to feel sorry." She kissed him again lovingly.

After they had let go, he held her hands tenderly and said, "I love you. I wish … I wish I could give you my life."

"You already have, my love."

* * *

As emotionally-draining as his day had been, Draco still found himself wide awake at four, replaying his conversation with Scorpius on his mind. Part of him wanted to recall the conversation in details to Astoria, but she deserved her uninterrupted rest after months of waking up in pain, now that his potion had finally cured her cramps. Besides, she had worried plenty for him tonight.

Feeling restless, Draco got out of bed and crept silently to Scorpius' room. Not wanting to wake him up, he cast a silencing charm before entering the room. Clearly the conversation had not have the same emotional effects on the boy as it had on him, the boy was sound asleep with the sweetest smile on his face. Draco took his time to admire his son's face, sometimes he still had a hard time believing that he could have a son, which was even more the case this night knowing how wonderful a son Scorpius was. Feeling warmed by the sight of his sleeping child, he leaned in to kiss him softly on his forehead.

"Thank you, Scorpius… for everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I have debated whether I should end it this way as it seems a bit too fluffy but I decided to stick to it as it was the ending I have envisioned all along and I like to see some Draco/Astoria love. I have seriously fallen in love with these characters, which is curious considering I have never liked Draco until CC and we barely got to learn anything about Astoria at all. One reason this fic turned out much longer than I had planned was the expansion of Astoria's role, something that has happened pretty organically, the character just seemed to come alive during my writing process, and of course she was very much present even in the Draco/Scorpius part.
> 
> I am posting the beginning of my sort of Cursed Child sequel that I have been working on for a while at the same time. The fic is titled "The Other Malfoy" and basically focuses on Harry trying to make amends to the Malfoys for the way he had treated Scorpius in CC with some Harry/Albus relationship as well as Harry/Draco friendship as well.
> 
> Please comment, I love reading comments so much =)

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment if you like, thanks =)


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